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Shimano STEPS goes straight to the top, and here’s why

Every year, leading German bike trade magazine SAZ bike sends surveys to hundreds of bicycle dealers asking them to score manufacturers in different categories. When the results are in, SAZ bike publishes their rankings. The big news this year is that newcomers to the survey SHIMANO STEPS shot straight to the top of the rankings for suppliers of e-bike drive units. This despite the fact that six of the eight manufacturers evaluated last year improved their score this year.

Great scores across the board

There’s no taming e-bikes at the moment. Their sales are booming in Europe and they’re not likely to slow down anytime soon. So there was plenty of anticipation about Shimano’s maiden appearance in the rankings. ‘It was very good,’ was SAZ bike’s verdict. ‘With an average score of 1.87, Shimano went straight to the top.’ That’s because Shimano has been relentlessly refining its SHIMANO STEPS drive unit ever since it was first introduced.

‘The proof of that is good scores in all categories,’ according to the magazine. ‘Shimano even scored highest among all the suppliers in the complaints handling and service categories.’ So it’s not just the product, but the whole package that impressed the voters. Which is a big compliment, because these guys are the go-betweens that link Shimano to the users of SHIMANO STEPS. They’re the ones who assemble and maintain the system, and they’re in daily contact with customers, so they know what they’re talking about.

SAZ bike rated ten manufacturers in six categories: product quality, complaints handling, service, training, maintenance costs and batteries. Scores varied from 1 (very good) to 6 (unsatisfactory). Shimano only placed third once (with a very high score of 1.79 in product quality), came second in three categories (training, maintenance costs and batteries), and first in complaints handling and service.

That little bit extra

So what is it that gets SHIMANO STEPS high marks in every category? Maybe it’s got that little bit extra. A powerful rechargeable battery that is 80% charged in just 2 hours and 100% in 4 hour (and gives you great reach). Controls that are a cinch to operate: three buttons to shift up, down or go into ‘walk assist’ mode (handy if you need help up a steep ramp). Or the combination of our drive unit and the Di2 internal gearhub so you can use the fully automatic shifting function (to make what was already a smooth ride even smoother). Or ‘start’ mode, in which SHIMANO STEPS automatically shifts down to a lower gear (great when you’re at traffic lights).